Back scuttling valve



F. E. O'NEILL ET AL BACK SCUTTLING VALVE Filed Deo.

Jan. 12, 1954 Patented Jan. 12, 1954 2,665,761 i BACK soU'rTLING VALVE Frank E. O'Neill, Los Angeles, and Mordica 0. Johnston, Glendale, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Johnston Testers, Inc., Houston, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Application December 12, 1949, Serial No. 132,482

This invention relates to an oil tool, and par` tioularly pertains to a back scuttling valve.

In oil well production, and particularly in connection with oil well formation tests, the fluid yielded by a well may accumulate excessive pressure and in order to prevent a. blowout in the Well it is desirable to impose the pressure of the hydrostatic head of the Well upon the fluid which is flowing through the well string. Such an operation must be performed quickly and it is the principal object of the present invention tov provide a tool which may be readily manipulated from the top of the well and which would make it possible for the hydrostatic head of lluid in the well to be imposed upon the connate fluid flowing from the formation.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a housing structure which may be mounted upon a suspending member such as a formation tester and which may be manipulated to permit the hydrostatic head of fluid in the well to ow downwardly into the structure and to flow upwardly as desired.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accmopanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the application of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section showing the back scuttling valve as indicated on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section as seen on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the valve construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I0 indicates a supporting string of pipe from which a formation tester is suspended. This tester usually carries a packer I3 of the sleeve or rathole type. It is usual to mount a, trip valve I2 at the lower end of the supporting string I and to at tach it above the formation tester so that when it is opened free access of fluid will be provided through the tester and into the supporting string. The trip valve is usually operated by dropping a go-devil into the supportingv string and opening the valve. The lower end of 4'the packer structure I3 carries a perforated anchor I4 through which connate fluid may iiow from the Well. In the present instance a back scuttling valve I5 is provided. It is interposed between the trip valve I2 and the formation tester and is supported by the trip valve structure I2.

By reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing it will be seen that the supporting member is provided with a sub I6 at its upper end and receives a cylindrical tubular housing Il. This housing is perfo- 5 Claims. (Cl. 16S- 4) 2 rated throughout its walls as indicated at I8. The housing is threaded onto the sub :as shown at I9, and the sub in turn is formed with an internal threaded portion 20 to receive a mandrel 2|. The mandrel 2| is threaded into the bore 20 and is formed with a central opening 22 which com municates with a bore 23 of the sub I6. The mandrel 2| is formed at its lower end with a thread which extends into a threaded bore 24. This bore is formed in a lower sub 25 to which a tester I or drill pipe is connected. The lower sub has an opening 26 in communication. with the opening 22 which extends longitudinally through the mandrel. Mounted upon the mandrel 2| is a valve element 21 having a bore 28 through which the mandrel 2| extends. The valve element includes a cylindrical sleeve 29. As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing the sleeve structure is formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending fins 30, the outer faces of which are slightly spaced from the interior of housing I1. Fluid may pass between these fins. The upper end of the sleeve 29 is fitted with a threaded bore 3| which receives a thread 32 formed on the mandrel 2|. The thread 32 is relatively coarse and is cut left-handed so that the joints of the supporting elements will not be unscrewed when the supporting string is rotated to the right. Formed in the wall of the bore 28 beneath the threaded section 3| is a plurality of annular grooves 33 which receive packing rings 34. These form a suitable fluid-tight packing between the mandrel 2| and the Wall of the bore 28. At the lower end of the sleeve 29 are similar grooves 35 which receive packing rings 36. These form a fluid-tight seal at the lower end of the sleeve and prevent upward ilow of fluid. In the space between the packing rings the bore 28 is relieved, as indicated at 31, so that the sleeve 2S may move readily along the mandrel. Formed diagonally through the wall of the mandrel 2| and leading from the passageway 22 to the relieved portion ofthe bore 31 are back scuttling passages 38 which are opened when the sleeve 29 is moved to its lowermost position, as will be hereinafter described.

In operation of the present invention, the back scuttling valve is constructed and assembled as shown in the drawing and is connected as indicated in Fig. l. It will be submerged in the iluid of a well so that the hydrostatic fluid under pressure may iiow into the perforations I8 of the housing. The hydrostatic pressure will act against the fins 3|) to resist rotation of the sleeve 29 so that when the central mandrel 2| is rotated, rotation of the sleeve 29 will be resisted. The

thread 32 on the mandrel 2l may then be unscrewed from the thread 3l so that eventually the sleeve 29 will be detached from the mandrel and will fall downwardly along the mandrel and into the housing I1. The sleeve 29 will also pass over the inclined ports 38 in the mandrel 2i allowing them to be free and open so that hydrostatic uuid may force its way upwardly through the passageway 22 and the passageway 23 in the supporting string, or pressure or pump suction may be ex-t While we have shown the preferred form of our invention as now knownrto us, it will be understood that various changes may be made in combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, Without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Havingv thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A back scuttling valve comprising a tubular valve housing having a port formed therein for admitting fluid to withinthe housing, a tubular sub connected to each end of the housing for connection to opposed sections of drill pipe or the like, a tubular mandrel disposed Within the housing and connected at its opposite ends to the subs and having the interior thereof communicatingl with the interiors of the subs, said mandrel having a port formed therein, a sleevel slidably mounted on and threadedly engaging the mandrel and covering the port inthe mandrel when in its initial position and adapted to be Submerged in the. fluid admittedby the port in the.

along the mandrel to uncover the port in theY mandrel. v v

2; A back scuttling valve comprising a tubular valve housing having a port formed therein for admitting uid to within the housing, a tubular sub connected to each end of the housing for` connection to opposed sections of drill pipe or the like, a tubular mandrel disposed Within the housing and connected at its opposite ends to the subs and having the interior thereof communicating with the interiors of the subs, said mandrel having a port formed therein, a sleeve slidably mounted on and threadedly engaging the mandrel and covering the port in the mandrel when in its initial position and adapted to be submerged in the iiuid admitted by the port in the housing, and radial ns on the sleeve terminating short of the interior ofthe `housing for resisting rotary movementv of the sleeve relative to the fluid in which it is submerged operable upon rotation of the drill string to retard rotary 4 movement of the sleeve and thereby cause threading of the sleeve along the mandrel to uncover the port in the mandrel.

3. A back scuttlng valve comprising a tubular valve housing having a port formed therein for admitting fluid to within the housing, a tubular sub connected. to each end of the housing for connection to opposed sections of drill pipe or the like, a tubular mandrel disposed within the housing and connected at its opposite ends to the subs and `having the interior thereof communicating with the interiors of the subs, said mandrel having a' port formed therein, a sleeve slidably mountedonand threadedly engaging the mandrel and covering the port in the mandrel when in its initial position and adapted to be Vsubmerged in the lfluid admitted by the port in the housing, the exterior of the sleeve being irregularly formed for resisting rotarymovement of the sleeve relative tothe iiuid in which it is submergedrand cause threading 'of the sleeve along the mandrel to uncoverthe port inthe mandrel when'the device is rotated.

4. A` back scutting valve comprising a tubular mandrel having a port formed therein, a tubular housing surrounding the mandrel and having a port for admitting fluid to within the housing means for mounting the housing on the mandrel in spaced relation with respect to the mandrel, a sleeve slidably mounted on and threadedly engaging the mandrel and covering the port in the mandrel when in its initial position and adapted to be submerged in the fluid admitted to Within the housing and means on the sleeve resisting rotary movement `of the sleeve relative to the fluid in which it is submerged operable upon rotation of the device to retard 'rotary movement of the sleeve and thereby cause threading oi the sleeve along the mandrel -to uncover the port in the mandrel.

5. A back scuttling valve comprising a tubular mandrel having a port formed therein, a tubular housing surrounding the mandrel and having a port for admitting iiuid to Within the housing, means for mounting the housing on the mandrel in spaced relation with respect to the mandrel, a sleeve slidably mounted on and threadedly engaging the mandrel and covering the port in the mandrel when in its initial position and adapted to be submerged in the fluid admitted to within the housing and radial fins on the sleeve terminating short of the interior of the housing for resisting rotary movement of the sleeve relative to the lluid in which it is submerged operable upon rotation of the drill string to retard rotary movement of the sleeve and thereby cause threading of the sleeve along the mandrel to uncover the port in the mandrel.

FRANK E. ONEILL. MORDICAV O. JOHNSTON.

References Cited in lthe f11e` 'of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number Name Date 2,037,896 Haines Apr. 21, 1936 2,178,540 McNeese et al Nov. '7, 1939 

